Eluru District Collector K. Vetriselvi on Wednesday (May 7) said drones can enhance agricultural productivity and reduce costs, and the government is focusing on leveraging drone technology to support farmers. She was speaking at an awareness programme here.
Ms. Vetriselvi said farmer groups and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) can apply for purchase of drones under subsidy (up to 50%). In the first phase, the government has allocated 40 drones to the district, to be distributed in 27 mandals. Villages have been organised into clusters of 10 to 15 for this purpose.
To purchase a drone under subsidy, five members of a farmers’ group (with no loan defaults) should open a bank account. She has instructed banks to ensure that related procedures are completed without delays. So far, 31 applications have been received, she added.
“Free training has already been provided to drone pilots,” she said and underlined the need to encourage more women to participate in this field.
She interacted with trained drone pilot farmers and quizzed them on drone operations to assess their understanding. Emphasising that farmers should have clarity on the subsidy and the proper use of drones, she expressed hope that the farmers who receive drones would succeed in their endeavours.
District Joint Collector P. Dhathri Reddy, District Agriculture Officer Habeeb Basha, APMIP PD P. Ravikumar, LDM D. Neeladri, various bank officials, trained drone pilot farmers and others were present.
Published – May 07, 2025 07:08 pm IST
